New Sisters United Academy Charter School Empowering Pasifika Girls for Success in 2026

Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that Sisters United Academy will open in Term 1 2026 as a charter school.

Every child deserves the opportunity to learn and grow in ways which are more specific to their needs. All of the schools announced today demonstrate the innovation enabled by the charter school model, Mr Seymour says.

Sisters United Academy will teach Pasifika girls to be successful Pasifika women and proud of their culture. Every day students will partake in traditional activities and engage with Pasifika languages.

Students will be taught a personalised curriculum, tailored to their career aspirations and cultural needs. For example, students in years 12 and 13 will be offered flexible combinations of classroom learning, internships, tertiary study, overseas opportunities, or work experience, Mr Seymour says.

AI learning tools will further personalise learning experiences for students. They will help students learn at their own pace, identify gaps in their knowledge early, and produce instant feedback for students. Teachers will monitor progress.

When it comes to education, one size does not fit all.

Charter schools show education can be different if we let communities bring their ideas to the table.

These schools have more flexibility in return for strictly measured results.

The charter school equation is: the same funding as state schools, plus greater flexibility plus stricter accountability for results, equals student success.

There are more ideas in the communities of New Zealand than there are in the Government. That’s why we open ideas to the wider community, then apply strict performance standards to the best ones.

It will join the four new charter schools announced in the last week which will open in Term 1 2026. This takes the total number of charter schools to 16. We expect more new charter schools to be announced before the end of the year, along with the first state schools to convert.

I want to thank the Charter School Agency and Authorisation Board for the work they have done getting charters open. They considered 52 applicants for new charter schools. This year they tell me the choices were very difficult.

This is just the beginning. I hope to see many more new charter schools opening, and state and state-integrated schools converting to become charter schools.